Jayhawks’ Self gets emotional after OT win over Missouri

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- The moment the final buzzer sounded and it was clear Missouri's last-second shot was a second too late, Bill Self threw his arms into the air and headed toward the scorer's table.

The coach of Kansas rarely gets too high or too low, his even keel a big reason he's had so much success. But the fourth-ranked Jayhawks' 87-86 overtime victory over the No. 3 Tigers in the final regular-season Big 12 matchup between two bitter rivals was simply too much to handle.

Self let loose with a moment of unbridled joy.

"I hate nothing more than losing to Missouri, but to me, it wasn't about the last time we played," Self said. "To me, it was about this team winning its eighth straight championship."

Yes, lost in the euphoria of a stirring victory was the real reason that Self was overcome with emotion: Kansas had locked up at least a share of another Big 12 title.

"I'm not the most emotional guy, but that was as good as it gets," Self said, pausing for comedic effect. "Plus there were recruits in, so I was kind of hamming it up a bit."

It's hard to imagine any of those recruits leaving Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday and choosing to play anywhere else. The building was packed to the rafters more than an hour before tipoff, the sound registering an ear-splitting 120.2 decibels -- just below the pain threshold.

With the Tigers heading to the Southeastern Conference next season, the finale of their 105-year-old rivalry with the Jayhawks played out like the most implausible of dramas.

Missouri struck first with precise perimeter shooting, silencing the old building by building a 19-point second-half lead. The Jayhawks countered with inside muscle, as junior forward Thomas Robinson proved his player of the year laurels with exceptional play at both ends.

It was Robinson who converted an acrobatic three-point play with 16.2 seconds remaining in regulation, and then forced overtime when he blocked Phil Pressey's last second shot.

"We feel like someone jumped us and ran away," he said, "and we finally caught up with them."

It was like a street fight in overtime, too.

Tyshawn Taylor hit a 3-pointer for Kansas. Marcus Denmon countered for Missouri. Back and forth they went until Denmon's jumper gave the Tigers an 86-85 lead with 12 seconds to go. Taylor raced back down court and was fouled, and a player who has been loathed just as much as he's been loved during his time in Lawrence calmly made both free throws.

Missouri never got off a shot to win it before the buzzer finally sounded.

As the Tigers head to the SEC, the Jayhawks proved once more their Big 12 dominance.

They've won at least 24 games seven straight seasons, and 14 league games for the fourth straight year. They've captured a dozen Big 12 crowns in the 16-year history of the conference and added to their Division I-leading 55 regular-season conference championships.

"The regular-season is more important than your tournament in the BCS conferences, in my opinion," Self said. "To me, we put all our emphasis on winning the regular season."